North Coast, Wine Country & Gold Country Expedition
11 DAYS Starting from $5,590 per person
Get the best of all worlds on this 11-day North Coast, Wine and Gold Country Expedition to exotic California. After getting to know irresistible San Francisco, you’ll follow the fabled Pacific Coast Highway north as you venture ever deeper into Giant Redwood country. Then, get your tastebuds working with sommelier-led tours of the finest estates in serious Sonoma County and glamorous Napa Valley. Next, you’ll experience California’s motherlode with a five-day exploration of the saloons, jailhouses and mills that still dot the charming mountain towns which date back to the 1849 Gold Rush. Top it all off with a night at majestic Lake Tahoe.
Trip at a Glance
HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore San Francisco in the company of a local expert, eating and drinking in under-the-radar spots and walking the streets of Little Italy, Chinatown, and the Marina.
- Experience the best of the San Francisco Bay by first cycling across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and then returning to the city on a once-in-a-lifetime sunset cruise.
- Enjoy the freedom that comes with having your own rental car and the benefits of being shown arround each destination by a local expert (we call them ‘docents’) who knows the place inside out.
- Get up close and personal with California’s Giant Redwoods, the tallest trees on the planet and the world’s only temperate rainforest. Be awed by these primordial giants at Muir Woods, Mendocino and Big Hendy Grove.
- Soar over wine country in style on a hot air balloon ride, drinking in the beauty of the region before imbibing the best local libations available.
- Indulge in unforgettable farm-to-fork dining at River’s End B&B, aboard the elegant Napa Valley Wine Train, and with a gourmet chef-prepared picnic on the bluffs of Mendocino.
- Drink in everything the wine country has to offer, with sommelier led tours of understated Sonoma and trendy Napa. Boasting an incredible array of wineries and dining experiences, our advice is to simply follow your nose.
- Explore delightful Sonora, an important Gold Rush way station boasting period architecture, historic saloons and charming Victorian-era B&Bs.
- Enjoy a full-day exploration of Highway 49 en route to Nevada City, taking in a personalized wine tasting in up-and-coming Placerville on the way.
- Spend a full day discovering quirky Nevada City’s gold rush past and bohemian present (great beer!) in the fascinating company of our local docent.
- Take a detour to tiny Downieville (population 250) where a local guide will give you the inside scoop on the town’s Gold Rush past.
- Using the Yuba River as your guide, venture high into the mountains of rural California as you make your way towards spectacular Lake Tahoe.
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